by Daniel Roodt
After 10 seasons, four champions leagues, and three league titles, Raphael Varane has left Real Madrid to join Manchester United. He joined the English club for a reported fee of £41 million.
Varane will likely slot into the right centre-back position alongside Harry Maguire, with Victor Lindelof making way for the world cup winner. As one of the top centre-halves in the world, he will add some more solidity to United’s defence. But, what exactly will he bring to the Red Devils?
When comparing Varane and Lindelof, several things stand out. The first is their aerial duels win rate. Varane is much better in the air than the Swede, and last season he won 75.3% of his aerial duels per 90-minutes compared to Lindelof’s 65.7%. This would be expected, though, because the former Real Madrid man is 7cm taller than Lindelof.
Varane is also extremely quick across the ground, which means he will be the perfect partner for Harry Maguire. Maguire is quite cumbersome at times and he, therefore, struggles against pacy attackers. Varane is one of the quickest centre-backs in Europe, so he will be able to cover for Maguire and make up for his lack of speed.
This will benefit Maguire as it complements one of his best skills, which is his ball-carrying ability. The Englishman was third in the Premier League last season for total progressive distance carried. This is defined as “total distance, in yards, a player moves while controlling it with their feet towards the opponent's goal.”
Compared to Varane and Lindelof, Maguire is the superior player in this regard. Last season, Varane’s total progressive distance carried was 4446 yards, while Lindelof’s was 5041. Harry Maguire’s stood at an impressive 6498. Per 90 minutes, Maguire carries the ball about twice more than both Varane and Lindelof. Knowing he has Varane behind him, who is fast and can read the game well, will enable him to step out deference with more confidence.
Varane’s pace will also enable United to play a higher defensive line. This will allow United to press higher and more intensely while worrying less about being exposed to long balls over the top of the defence. Varane will be able to use his speed to make crucial recovery tackles and prevent the opposition from exploiting the space behind the defence.
Dean Henderson starting as their number one will also help in this regard, as he is more adventurous sweeping behind his defence than David De Gea is.
All three players are competent passers, although Maguire tends to be slightly more progressive with his passing. Another valuable skill Varane brings to the United backline is that he can pass with both feet with a bit more ease than Maguire and Lindelof. Varane is predominantly right-footed, but he plays 40% of his passes with his left foot. Maguire and Lindelof are both right-footed, and they play 86% and 84% of their passes with their strong foot.
This two-footedness also opens up a wider range of passing options. This is beneficial for relieving pressure when pressed by opposition players and creating better angles for offensive passes.
An example of this is seen in the above graphic, courtesy of Tom Worville of The Athletic. When a ball passed to the left side of the field is passed by a left-footed player, the receiving player can more easily receive the ball in their stride. This allows them to progress the ball forward as the ball is naturally curving forward, rather than towards the touchline as it would be if a right-footed player passed it.
Another benefit of a player passing with the foot of the side they’re on is that it makes it harder for the opposition to intercept the ball. The ball curves away from the opposition rather than towards them. While the difference is only about a metre or two, this is a significant distance in this context, especially because of the speed the ball will be travelling at.
While Varane is not the most expansive passer, and therefore we can’t expect him to be setting up attack after attack, it is still a useful tool to have in your repertoire. Furthermore, it also adds versatility to his game and allows him to play at left and right centre back with relative ease.
This versatility is beneficial for Solskjaer, as it enables him to shift Varane around depending on who his partner is. He has also played at left centre back on multiple occasions for Real Madrid, so he is used to both centre back positions.
Another addition Varane brings to the United squad is something intangible but nonetheless beneficial. As a four-time Champions League winner, three-time La Liga winner, and a World Cup winner, Varane knows what it takes to go all the way and clinch silverware.
At the age of 28, he has won more than most players could dream of. This will be invaluable in a young squad like United’s, where many of the key players have little experience with deep runs in competitions that have resulted in a trophy.
Raphael Varane will likely turn out to be one of the signings of the window. While he is not a player Manchester United needed urgently, he brings an undeniable quality to their squad. He is an upgrade on Victor Lindelof, and he is a serial winner. At 28, he is in his prime and will undoubtedly form the backbone of the Red Devil’s backline with captain Harry Maguire for years to come.
*All stats from StatsBomb via Fbref.com